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Tamra

Tamra

Joined October 2016

I love literary fiction!
blurb
Tamra
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😊 Back to outdoor reading, at last!

And finally getting to this novella.

mcctrish Lucky!!! I will live vicariously through you 38m
Tamra @mcctrish it‘s been the most roller coaster spring! Way above average & dry, then way below average and wet & windy. I am a Goldilocks and complain unless it‘s just right. 30m
mcctrish After winter being so long and so cold I‘m a goldilocks too! I just want nice weather 17m
17 likes3 comments
review
Tamra
The Maidens: A Novel | Alex Michaelides
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Mehso-so

Hmmmmm 🤔 It started out well and then got a bit ridiculous on the believability scale the longer it went on. Also, every single character was messed up because of mother issues = overdone. Then it just ended and the aftermath was what would have been interesting.

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Tamra
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Pickpick

Definitely page turning! In this case, audio pages. 😉

Amazed at how safe the AT historically has been re: crime given how isolated it is in some segments.

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Tamra
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Well, for a Canadian Matty can write a delicious gumbo recipe!

Tamra The recipe calls for frozen okra, but I couldn‘t find any and it was fantastic anyway. Make do! 4d
LeahBergen That looks delicious! 3d
Cathythoughts Absolutely yum looking 😋 3d
Tamra @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen it is time consuming but it makes a lot. Yay for leftovers! 3d
46 likes4 comments
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Tamra
The Power of Myth | Joseph Campbell, Bill Moyers
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Can I get this read for my other bookclub by Friday? Probably not the way I‘d like to read it, but you do what you can when it‘s crunch time!

Ruthiella I‘ll bet you can listen to it on YouTube. I remember that program. 5d
Tamra @Ruthiella yes! But I can read faster. 😜 5d
AmyG This is one of my most favorite books. Joseph Campbell is just wonderful. 5d
See All 6 Comments
Tamra @AmyG I‘ve read the first two sections and it is engaging! I always liked Bill Moyers‘ interviews. 5d
Leftcoastzen Great book & show 5d
Cathythoughts Good luck 👍🏻❤️ you‘re a fast reader 👏🏻 (edited) 5d
43 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Tamra
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Pickpick

Ghostbusting! 👻 Wish I would have discovered this in October. Lots of interesting historical background on the supernatural craze of late 19th to mid 20th centuries.

I recall my grandmother saying at one time her family members went to some type of fortune teller/seer, which would have been within that period. Can‘t remember why, but in my mind it‘s connected to something about money hidden within the walls of the house.

Ruthiella 🎵Who you gonna call? 👀🎶 1w
44 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Tamra
The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation, Bilingual Edition | Dante Alighieri, Robert Pinsky, Nicole Pinsky
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Mehso-so

Ready for book club tomorrow! It‘s a funny group, so I‘m looking forward to their takes on Dante & the filth, stench, and all around beastliness of his hellish creation.

I‘m glad I read it. Did I enjoy it? Parts were creative and engaging, others read like a contemporary political revenge rag for which I have no context. Very thankful to Ciardi & his notes.

It‘s a bit like a collection of short stories, some Cantos are a hit and others a miss.

Cathythoughts Enjoy Bookclub, should be interesting 👍🏻❤️ 1w
sarahbarnes Congrats to you for reading it! 1w
52 likes2 comments
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Tamra
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Pickpick

This was meant to be for me on Mother‘s Day! First, I celebrate loving two great kids and second I celebrate the extraordinary gift of motherhood their biological mothers made to me. 💕

When I walked into the cookbook section this book was on the display at eye level. 😍.

Fantastic recipes, some are for dishes and flavor combos not included in my other Ethiopian cookbooks. Anxious to try them. I wish could get to her cafe in Harlem!

Cathythoughts Lovely words Tamra❤️ 2w
BarbaraBB What @Cathythoughts says 💝 2w
49 likes2 comments
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Tamra
The Leaf Bookshop | Ashburton, Victoria, Australia (Bookstore)
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Pickpick

You very lucky Australians! I wish I had access to Katy and her shop in real life. She could sell the leg off a table - she‘s that good of a reviewer. I always want to purchase and read every book she presents.

Link to YouTube channel and most recent reviews: https://youtu.be/AEJrcbVBrrY?si=RCCrLzaeIwZrV4IY

LeeRHarry Thanks for putting this shop on my radar - it‘s across the city from me but if I‘m out that way I‘ll definitely check it out! 😊 3w
Tamra @LeeRHarry if shipping wasn‘t cost prohibitive I would order books! In fact, the store might not ship outside Australia. 😢 3w
CarolynM It‘s well out of my way, too☹️ Have you been there @thegirlwiththelibrarybag ? 2w
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @CarolynM, yes! Anytime I end up with an Ashburton shift - I make sure I have time for a visit. It‘s a lovely store. It‘s owned by a married couple - she‘s the reader and he‘s the photographer- and they have a dog named Murphy who features heavily in their IG content (and probably YouTube content) 2w
56 likes4 comments
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Tamra
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I‘m late to the Matheson party, but better late than never! This is not just a book to look at and be inspired to cook from, it‘s a book to read. His authenticity is a hoot and refreshing. The essays preceding each section and the descriptions of each recipe are great fun. Clearly he is a down to earth chefy chef; his world contains multitudes of food styles & tastes.

“God f*cking” bless grilled cheese sandwiches.”

TheBookHippie Ooooooo 3w
Tamra @TheBookHippie he isn‘t a food snob, that‘s for sure! He takes great joy in all things that taste good to him, whether it be high brow or low brow. For example, the grilled cheese with American cheese slices. 😊 3w
TheBookHippie @Tamra adds it to list …..🤣🙃👀 3w
LeahBergen Ooo! 👀 3w
Cathythoughts Bread and butter and cheese… my all time favorite thing. ❤️ 3w
50 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Tamra
We Do Not Part | Han Kang
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Pickpick

I didn‘t know about the Jeju massacre until listening to this novel. Beautiful, haunting writing that I think would have been even better in print. That way I could have reread passages and spent more time thinking about them. I will have to get a copy for my shelves.

P.S. I think I was “meh” on The Vegetarian. 😏

Cathythoughts Great review, I agree, it‘s beautiful haunting writing as you say. I loved it. 🤍 3w
Tamra @Cathythoughts I was skeptical because I wasn‘t crazy about The Vegetarian, but I‘m glad I gave it a chance. 3w
BarbaraBB Very happy with this review and that you didn‘t love The Vegetarian. I hope to read this soon 3w
50 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Tamra
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How did I miss this film about Thomas Wolfe & his editor Max Perkins? I ran across the film today and binge watched the whole thing while on the elliptical. Gorgeous cinematography and acting - highly recommend.

Whole thing is here on YouTube: https://youtu.be/9AowPEE-7hY?si=Llhdawj2cxKCQUyM

Cathythoughts Oh I must watch this too 👍🏻❤️ 3w
Tamra @Cathythoughts I think you‘ll enjoy it. Very beautiful to watch. 3w
34 likes2 comments
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Tamra
Praiseworthy | Alexis Wright
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My new chunkster adventure! With the dreamscape & magical realism elements, the wine is a necessary reading aid. 😅

Leftcoastzen Kitty so pretty!😻 1mo
LeahBergen I love Kitty‘s parted “bangs”! 1mo
Liz_M I almost bought that today -- it was on a bookseller rec shelves and I like most of the other books on it. I look forward to your thoughts! 1mo
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Mimi28 😻😻🫶🏽🩷😊 1mo
Ruthiella 😻😻😻 1mo
Cathythoughts Look forward to your thought too. Yes, the wine can be a great reading aid ❤️ 🍸 4w
57 likes6 comments
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Tamra
By the Shores of Silver Lake | Laura Ingalls Wilder
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A book nerd thing only you all will appreciate.

I was staring at this box set in the “library/TV” room where my daughter was sitting and I was telling her I wished she‘d read them. (No chance.) I pulled the tagged book out, opened it up and BAM ☄️ I was rushed headlong back in time by the very unique scent of the paper in these editions. I could live inside them.

Happy sweet memories. 🥰

CogsOfEncouragement Yes. That is the same set I have. ♥️ 1mo
dabbe 🤩😍🤩 1mo
LeahBergen Oh, I know EXACTLY what scent these editions have! 🥰 1mo
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Ruthiella It‘s time travel. ❤️ 1mo
Amiable As I read your comment, the scent immediately filled my nostrils! It‘s amazing that smells can be retained in our brains as solid memories. 1mo
Amie I have that same set ❤️ 1mo
kwmg40 I own this set too! 3w
55 likes7 comments
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Tamra
The Books of Jacob | Olga Tokarczuk
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With some distance now I have an even greater appreciation for this behemoth. With so many themes I can‘t even begin to relay them all here. But one I especially appreciated was that of the invisible & everlasting connections between people, places, events, ideas, beliefs, etc. They are the “sparks” Olga gathers in this book.

The Prologue & final scene doubles down on this theme in a most delightful way I can‘t spoil!

Tamra “Idiots seek simple answers.” 😂👌🏾 Another wonderful theme is on writing and language. Life is complicated and so is conveying it. 1mo
50 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Tamra
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Mehso-so

This book is very well researched on England‘s new divorce law, court, and the people orbiting in & around it. Other reviewers have noted Mrs. Robinson serves as a model trope for victims of patriarchy and sexism. So absurd now that everything sexual was the result of a defect or disease of some sort. “Womb complaint”

IMO the degree of detail about extraneous individuals was a distraction from the Robinsons‘ story.

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Tamra
Untitled | Untitled
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Just because I can‘t stand the dull a moment longer! I don‘t care if I have to bring it in at night like a baby. First pot of the season. 😊

Ruthiella Beautiful! 🌺 1mo
BookwormAHN Lovely 💜 1mo
kspenmoll Yay! 💛 1mo
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Aims42 So pretty! (edited) 1mo
tpixie Pretty! 🩷💜🩷 1mo
Cathythoughts Yay ❤️ You love your flowers. 1mo
63 likes6 comments
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Tamra
Belle Greene | Alexandra Lapierre
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The JP Morgan library celebrating 100 years and giving due credit to Belle. 😄 Gorgeous collection - hope to see it someday.

https://youtu.be/2hMrbtZQWxo?si=Cg8tVcodd_aRCnA9

LeahBergen The Morgan is absolutely wonderful. I dragged my husband there. 😆 1mo
Tamra @LeahBergen and he‘s better for it! 😂 1mo
TheBookHippie I love it there!! 1mo
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Tamra @TheBookHippie 👏🏾 I can imagine! 1mo
dabbe 🩵💙🩵 1mo
Texreader Oh I‘d love to see that!! 1mo
tpixie Great book! Love the photo. Thanks for the link. I hope to visit The Morgan Library & The Frick Mansion someday. I‘ve already been to NYC 3 times though- not since the ‘80‘s though, so I don‘t know if it‘s beat other cities…. 1mo
46 likes7 comments
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Tamra
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Pickpick

Policy of preventative deterrence = death by Sonoran desert.

Funneling migrants through the desert is intentional and cruel. Common sense suggests until the root causes of the migration are addressed it will not end. When migrants say they would rather die on the trail than remain in their home countries it speaks volumes.

Jason‘s second book focusing on human smugglers is even better because it really lays bare the complexities of the issue.

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Tamra
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If I wrote something with this premise it would be chalked up to a morbid imagination.🥹 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwvl93ywlpo?utm_campaign=YouTube+April+1&utm_...

LeahBergen It‘s a bit creepy, isn‘t it? 😆 1mo
Tamra @LeahBergen Just bit Hannibal Lector 😬 1mo
Cathythoughts Scary 😟 1mo
33 likes3 comments
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Tamra
Untitled | Untitled
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I need this mug.

dabbe 🎯🩵🎯! 1mo
JenReadsAlot Yes!! 1mo
LeahBergen 😆 1mo
See All 7 Comments
Deblovestoread Great mug! 1mo
rubyslippersreads Me too! 😁 1mo
Ruthiella 😂😂😂 1mo
Cathythoughts 👌🏻❤️ 1mo
69 likes7 comments
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Tamra
God's Country: A Novel | Percival Everett
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Got myself a western spoof! 🤠👏🏾 Everette is such a fantastic satirist that I‘m looking forward to it when I get there.

JenP I love his books! Haven‘t read this one. Looking forward to seeing what you think 1mo
Tamra Apparently this is his second “western!” The first is (edited) 1mo
BarbaraBB Can‘t wait for your review. You probably can‘t go wrong with Percival Everett! 1mo
See All 7 Comments
BkClubCare Have you read Wounded? Couldn‘t it be considered a Western? 1mo
Tamra @BkClubCare I haven‘t read that one! 1mo
BkClubCare @Tamra - it‘s good. I haven‘t read this one yet 😊 1mo
Tamra @BkClubCare adding to TBR. Thanks for noting it! 1mo
53 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Tamra
Family Roundabout | Richmal Crompton
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Pickpick

Another #PersephoneClub pick gobbled up! This one is rather melancholy, but the characters are so well drawn I felt like a fly on the wall to the family gossip. None of them are perfect or cardboard cutouts, which made them relatable. Belle was a real piece of work!

At the end, knowing the war was inevitable, left me feeling sad for them.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review! I remember I really enjoyed it. ❤️ 1mo
LeahBergen Nice review! I really found myself invested in these families. 1mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I just noticed the blurb in Litsy is wrong, re: year of setting. It was published in 1948, but it‘s set between the wars. At first I thought I‘d read the whole novel wrong. 😆 1mo
CarolynM Glad you enjoyed💕 1mo
53 likes5 comments
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Tamra
The shuttle | Frances Hodgson Burnett
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Pickpick

Oh, the delicious melodrama! (Insert fainting couch here.) I loved every minute of it! ❤️

It would make a stunning, visually beautiful film.

#PersephoneClub

BarbaraBB Stacked! 1mo
Tamra @BarbaraBB it‘s a fun period piece showcasing old world & new world. 😊 The ending is every bit what you would expect. (edited) 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻❤️ I‘m nearly finished too. But I‘m juggling 🤹 with my IRL bookclub book ( we meet this Saturday night 😬) I should finish this weekend. I‘m thoroughly enjoying it. (edited) 1mo
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Cathythoughts It would make a great film , I agree. 1mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts oh the perils of the modern reader. 😅😆 I “suffer” from buddy/club read syndrome too. 1mo
TheLudicReader I have never heard of this, but The Secret Garden and A Little Princess are two of my favourite childhood reads. 1mo
andrew61 Yes I am enjoying it so far. I am just at the chapter where Nigel has returned and he and Betty are conducting a walk round the grounds while avoiding disclosing any weakness. He may well be one of the great villains of all time ! 1mo
LeahBergen I‘m about halfway through and keep thinking the same thing about it being a great film! 1mo
CarolynM Lovely review. I‘m just getting started. 1mo
Tamra @TheLudicReader you might give it a try. 😊 1mo
Tamra @andrew61 oh, yes indeed! 🦹🏿‍♂️ 1mo
Tamra @LeahBergen so scenic, inside & out. 🎥 1mo
Tamra @CarolynM I hope you are enjoying! 1mo
54 likes2 stack adds13 comments
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Tamra
The shuttle | Frances Hodgson Burnett
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“Try not to think.” 🤣🤣🤣

#PersephoneClub

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Tamra
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Next IRL book club pick 🔥😈

We have three translations in the house, but I‘m going with Pinsky since he‘s a poet. 🤞🏾

quietlycuriouskate Dante! ❤️ 2mo
Tamra @quietlycuriouskate I‘m looking forward to it! 2mo
48 likes2 comments
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Tamra
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Panpan

IRL bookclub pick. The ocean IS a brilliant abyss! However, the structure of the book didn‘t work and as a result I won‘t remember much, except for the crabs that eat slimy strings of bacteria, bone eating worms, and the polychaete female who houses dwarf males in her body.

Any reader of this book won‘t need the conservation & preservation message.

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Tamra
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Cranberry orange soda bread 😋 from the tagged book. Super easy, but don‘t expect it to be dessert sweet. My kids will wonder where the sugar is, same with scones. 🙃

Cathythoughts I love soda bread 🥰 2mo
LeahBergen That looks tasty! 2mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2mo
47 likes3 comments
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Tamra
Untitled | Untitled
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Stab in the heart to see photos like this……I fell down a rabbit hole.

Aims42 So sad 😢💔 2mo
Bookwormjillk How sad. Where is that? 2mo
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dabbe 😭😱😭 2mo
LeahBergen Eek! 😱 2mo
BethM Wherever that is, I‘m available for a rescue. 2mo
52 likes6 comments
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Tamra
The shuttle | Frances Hodgson Burnett
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“The Court itself was old, and many gabled and mellow-red and fine. Rosalie had learned from no precedent as yet, but houses of its kind may represent the apotheosis of discomfort and dilapidation within, and only become more beautiful without.”

Oh Rosalie, I fear you are in for a rude awakening. 🥹

#PersephoneClub

Tamra What fantastically delicious writing in the first two chapters. I might gobble this one up whole! 2mo
Cathythoughts I‘m gobbling too … love the writing and the story so far …❤️ (edited) 2mo
Cathythoughts Great pic ❤️ 2mo
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Tamra @Cathythoughts 😁 seems to fit! “Ughtred” is a name???? I‘ve never heard it before. Rather unattractive by today‘s standards. In my mind I just hear the “ugh” as in disgust. 😝 (edited) 2mo
willaful When I first saw it, I thought it was a transcription error! 2mo
Tamra @willaful me too! I had to look it up. 2mo
LeahBergen And I‘ve just gobbled the first three chapters this afternoon! I‘m thoroughly enjoying it! @Cathythoughts 2mo
Tamra @LeahBergen such wonderfully evocative writing! 😊 2mo
Cathythoughts Yes , it‘s my Sunday morning reading just now. I‘m glad we are all enjoying so far. @LeahBergen 2mo
LeahBergen @Tamra @Cathythoughts I‘m hoping that nasty Nigel gets his comeuppance! 2mo
Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I really hope so too. He‘s horrible. 2mo
Tamra @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts he‘s the perfect villain. 😠 2mo
49 likes12 comments
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Tamra
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Pickpick

A story that epitomizes complicated parent/child relationships. The illustrations made this graphic memoir work for me, otherwise it would have been just okay. (Not a huge fan of memoir.)

Throughout I really wanted the perspectives of the other family members to compare it with Alison‘s. Alas, that‘s not going to happen. 😏

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Tamra
Nesting | Roisn O'Donnell
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Pickpick

I just saw in the blurb this is favorably compared to Keegan & Donoghue? That‘s marketing for you. 😑

The writing is accessible & the characters are believable to the point you want to shake the MC. However the kids were an annoying distraction in audio version. Toddler voices, unless they are real, aren‘t cute.

It‘s not a deep read and doesn‘t have penetrating or lyrical prose. Satisfactory for entertainment purposes. I‘d give it 3⭐️

charl08 Ouch. I guess you're not lobbying for this one to be shortlisted then? 2mo
Tamra @charl08 This year I‘ve been distracted so I don‘t recall what‘s on the fiction long list. 😏 2mo
BarbaraBB Our reviews are pretty similar. I am glad too it‘s not just me! And indeed those children‘s voices 😱 2mo
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squirrelbrain Eek, I‘m glad I‘m reading this in print and not listening to- I don‘t think I could bear it! 😬 2mo
Tamra @squirrelbrain good choice! 😉 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review, that I will take on board 👍🏻 2mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts it‘s not “novel”, but it passes the time. It‘s repetitive like others have noted, but I‘m sure that is intentional. 2mo
51 likes7 comments
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Tamra
Raising Hare: A Memoir | Chloe Dalton
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Pickpick

Memoirs are a hard sell for me, but this one worked because the focus here is on hares. Beautiful nature writing!

But, is it prize worthy? 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Tamra
The Books of Jacob | Olga Tokarczuk
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Pickpick

Were all the flags and annotations necessary? Yes! Was it worth the 10 weeks of effort. Absolutely yes!

Can I even begin to coherently articulate why yet? No!

This is one of those books I will have to sit with to settle the swirling thoughts.

BkClubCare Yowza 👏 2mo
BarbaraBB Well! Wow done! 2mo
squirrelbrain 🎉🎉🎉 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review! And well done ❤️👍🏻 2mo
63 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Tamra
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Pickpick

5 ⭐️ for the content and engaging style.

Very valuable in helping to understand the mechanisms of migration in Latin America. Jason spent 6 years among and studying the culture of human smugglers.

The word “hope” in the subtitle is misleading. It‘s not hope for the crisis ending, it‘s the hope both migrants and many smugglers have of escaping desperate poverty & violence.

Now downloading his first book which is focused on migrants.

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Tamra
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I was tempted, except nobody but me would see them under my pant legs. 😜

AmyG 😂love them! 2mo
BethM Omg I totally would have bought them. 2mo
dabbe 🤩🤣🤩 2mo
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LeahBergen 😆😆 2mo
Julsmarshall But you would know they were there :) 2mo
Leftcoastzen 👏👏👏😂 2mo
Prairiegirl_reading I have similar socks and I purposely wear them to work when I‘m pissed off. No one else can see them but I know they are there and it‘s so petty that it makes me happy. 😊 2mo
Jeg I love socks like that but same problem no one sees them. 🤷🏻‍♂️. 2mo
Cathythoughts Short pants are the answer 😁😘 2mo
sarahbarnes Oh man I want those. 😍 2mo
81 likes10 comments
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Tamra
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34% in and I can tell this is going to be a very memorable and informative book.

Violence is the handmaiden of poverty.

TrishB Ouch, it definitely is. 2mo
44 likes1 comment
review
Tamra
Victorian Psycho | Virginia Feito
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Pickpick

🫣 What wild satirical ride on the Victorian Horror Bus! Imagine the Bronte sisters unleashed & unhinged.

Loved it as a spoof! 😳

LeahBergen Oh, good! I have this waiting on my shelves! 2mo
Tamra @LeahBergen have fun with it! 2mo
Cathythoughts Stacking ! 👍🏻❤️ 2mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts it‘s a romp! 2mo
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Tamra
The Grass Harp | Truman Capote
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Pickpick

Wow, what amazingly beautiful prose! Has that very southern story telling tradition vibe about it. I‘m am going to pick it up in print when I find it to read the other stories in this edition.

Cathythoughts He‘s such a great writer ❤️ 2mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts I listened to In Cold Blood, but this was really different. I wouldn‘t have guessed how richly he could write short stories. 😊 2mo
50 likes2 comments
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Tamra
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed listening to this family mystery, particularly because the secret unravels in a nonlinear fashion. The ending is also not unnecessarily drawn out or wrapped up in a shiny bow. My favorite type of ending!

@Cathythoughts you might check this one out. 😊

BarbaraBB Sounds good! 2mo
Cathythoughts Thankyou Tamra ❤️ I‘ll definitely give it a go. X 2mo
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Tamra
The Most | Jessica Anthony
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Pickpick

A reckoning of two people and a marriage in a pool. Well done!

Christine I enjoyed this one too! 3mo
LeahBergen This one does sound good! 3mo
Cathythoughts This one does sound good. Stacking. ❤️ 3mo
52 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Tamra
The Books of Jacob | Olga Tokarczuk
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Page by page! 😅 Definitely can get bogged down in this giant middle section, but there are spectacular nuggets here & there. OT has ratcheted up the tension at the end of book 5 so we‘re definitely headed somewhere. 😬

BethM I‘ve never heard of it, but that thing is huge! 3mo
Leftcoastzen I have it , I haven‘t started it yet , it‘s size is 😱 3mo
sarahbarnes You‘re making great progress! I did get stuck in the middle and haven‘t picked it up again. You‘re inspiring me to rethink that. 😊 3mo
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DGRachel I bought this when it came out but saw lackluster reviews and was intimidated by the size. 3mo
Cathythoughts Great pic 😁 Fair play to you for tackling this 👍🏻 3mo
63 likes6 comments
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Tamra
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Mehso-so

Tepid pick for IRL book club. The narrative starts out strong and the ending is good, but the middle meanders with descriptions of other worldly beings and landscapes without much character development or plot.

The best line was the MC realizing he couldn‘t trust alien shepherds because after all, the cyclops were shepherds too. 🤣

Was using the foil of sci fi for spiritual philosophy a new thing? (1938)

quietlycuriouskate I remember loving this when I read it as a kid: your review makes me disinclined to risk a re-read, though. 3mo
51 likes1 comment
review
Tamra
Conclave | Robert Harris
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Pickpick

For me, this is one of the rare instances when the film was better than the book. The film was more intense from minute 1 and you can‘t beat the gorgeous cinematography & acting which made it so visually appealing and compelling.

BethM I enjoyed the book until the end 😂 3mo
Tamra @BethM I enjoyed the whole thriller! 😂 3mo
Cathythoughts ❤️ 3mo
Cathythoughts I loved the film too ❤️ 3mo
HardcoverHearts I just watched it last weekend and was so surprised by how much I liked it! I appreciate your saying the movie was better, thus saving me from reading it. (edited) 3mo
47 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Tamra
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Hands down my favorite baking book.

Make this coffee cake, you won‘t regret it! Here is a link if you don‘t have the book.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/our-favorite-sour-cream-coffee-cake-rec...

Ruthiella Looks delicious! 😋 3mo
Christine If you insist! 🫡 And thanks for the link, I don‘t have the book but you‘re making me feel like I need to have it! 3mo
JacqMac Mmm… I love coffee cake. I might have to try this. 3mo
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CSeydel 🏃🏻‍♀️💨 3mo
Jess861 This looks delicious! 3mo
Tamra @Christine all of the recipes are easy to follow and not demanding. Definitely for the home baker with average skills. I also like to support King Arthur products because the company is employee owned. 😁 You can find a lot of recipes on their website. (edited) 3mo
Christine I love them too and some of their website recipes are go-tos for me! Have put the book on hold at the library as average-skills baking is definitely all I have the bandwidth for these days! 3mo
Deblovestoread Yum! And good to know about the cookbook! 3mo
LeahBergen That looks wonderful! 3mo
youneverarrived Coffee cake 😋 looks so nice 3mo
mabell Yum! I really should have this book! I use their site all the time for recipes. Especially when I need something that I know will turn out! 3mo
Tamra @mabell check it out from the library if you can. I know I would gift it to anyone interested in baking. 😁 3mo
54 likes12 comments
review
Tamra
Annie Bot | Sierra Greer
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Mehso-so

Super cringeworthy!

I‘m torn because I appreciate the creativity and the fact it‘s thought provoking, but the writing lacks nuance and gets repetitive. I feel like a broken record when I say it would have made a better novella. Also, the end was silly given what we know about Doug‘s character.

I wonder if this will be made into a film?

BarbaraBB I liked this one a lot. But I get your point and think I just was less critical. 3mo
Tamra @BarbaraBB 😅 I think I‘m in a mood. 3mo
BarbaraBB I know what you mean, these kind a of book are a hit or miss depending on our moods 3mo
Reggie I was so happy for that ending. And I think Doug was lucky because as long as she didn‘t run out of batteries, she coulda just killed him. In the Terminator movies there‘s just a point where the AI just thinks It‘s go time and kills all humans. Annie is at the very beginning of that eventual end. lol 3mo
Tamra @Reggie I think the alternate ending would have been more satisfying. 😆 3mo
56 likes5 comments
blurb
Tamra
Annie Bot | Sierra Greer
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Oh, my. I‘m only 26% in and it‘s really uncomfortable! 🫣

Ruthiella Yeah, I‘m skipping this one. I feel like everything I need to know is in the synopsis. 3mo
Reggie It‘s soooooo good. The end is hopeful. And eff Doug. 3mo
BarbaraBB It‘s good! And @Reggie is right! (edited) 3mo
charl08 I hadn't heard of this one, but your post made me track back through all the readerly comments on the book. Tempted to suggest it for my book group as it seems a book that inspires strong feelings (but not sure re NSFW!) 3mo
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review
Tamra
Grey Wolf | Louise Penny
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Mehso-so

The third audio narrator of the series is introduced with this installment. I liked the previous two, this one not so much because the voices aren‘t as distinct. The pronounced French accent meant distinguishing among the several French names was difficult to track, but that‘s no fault of the narrator.

This story sprawls across many locations and characters, and as a result there was too much explanation of connections rather than showing.

Tamra Jean-Guy is getting to be rather a predictable mono-dimensional character - all rough arrogant impatience. 3mo
Susanita I‘ve never liked Jean-Guy! He‘s so annoying. 3mo
Tamra @Susanita I suspect he is supposed to highlight the mature wisdom of Gamache, but it‘s getting stale. Too pat now. 3mo
60 likes3 comments
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Tamra
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What could be better than going with my daughter to listen to my husband play with a jazz singer in a venue selling books? It was in celebration of African American history month. Fun! 😄 My daughter got to chat with the singer about SZA & Lamar, so it was a win for her.

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 3mo
LeahBergen That sounds wonderful! 3mo
sarahbarnes So cool! 3mo
Cathythoughts Sounds brilliant 🤩 3mo
58 likes4 comments
blurb
Tamra
The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood
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Loved this interview! Fascinating - I didn‘t realize she was such a student of history. https://youtu.be/vNvVsl5OZ7o?si=MZKRupR7TAuD_Bhy

dabbe She is incredible. 🩶💚🩶 3mo
GingerAntics Really? The handmade‘s tale is extraordinary because everything that is done to the women was actually done at least at one point in history to women. 3mo
Tamra @dabbe I have yet to read the print version, but I do want to in order to compare with the screen adaptation. I really enjoyed Blind Assassin and Alias Grace. After watching the interview I ordered her most recent essay collection. 😁 3mo
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dabbe @Tamra I loved BLIND ASSASSIN and THE HANDMAID'S TALE and quite a few short stories/poems. I need to read more of her. 3mo
Tamra @dabbe thanks for the tip on the poetry & short stories - I haven‘t read any by her! I can only imagine what she‘d be able to pull off in the short story format. That is a genre that can pack a serious punch in the right hands. (edited) 3mo
LeahBergen The Blind Assassin and Alias Grace are two of my faves, too. Have you read Cat‘s Eye? I remember really enjoying that, as well. 3mo
kspenmoll Thank you so so much for posting this interview!!!! Now I need to read some of her poetry & 3mo
Tamra @LeahBergen it‘s on my radar! I‘ll pick up a copy the next time I‘m in a bookstore. 😄 3mo
Tamra @kspenmoll I think you‘ll really like Bljnd Assassin, the structure makes it really a fun experience. I am ready to reread it bc it‘s been years & years! 3mo
53 likes9 comments